Automatic sink-door opener.



2 ASheets-Sheet Patented May 29, |900. L. S. SAFFORD.

AUTOMATIC SINK DOOR OPENER.

(Application led May 15 1899.) (no Model.)

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No. 050,422. Patented may 20,' |900.

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(Application led Hay 15, 1899.) (N10 Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

- UMTED STATES PATENT OEErcE.

LARKIN S. SAFFORD, OF KELSO, NORTH DAKOTA.

AUTOMATIC SINK-DOOR OPENER.

SPECIFICATroN forming part o'f Letters Patent No. 650,422, dated May 29, 190e.- Appnmeon nea my 15,1899. semina. 716.862. (No man.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LARKIN S. SAFFORD, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Kelso,

Dakota, have invented certain new and use! ful Improvements in Automatic Sink-Door Openers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others 1o skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide a simple and efficient device for use in connection with sinks having swinging or otherwise movable doors, whereby the door will be swungand held open whenever the catch pail or receptacle is nearly filled.

To the above end my invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices 2o hereinafter described, and defined in the claims. Y

In myprior application, filed September 12, 1898, and allowed February 20, 1899, which application bears Serial No. 690,734 and is entitled an Automatic sink-door opener, the

sink-door was opened by means of a fioat device.

In my present invention I dispense with the tloat and so construct and poise the catch 3o pail or receptacle that the gravity of the water caught bythe same Will tilt the pail or receptacle when it has been nearly filled, and thus cause the pail to force open and hold open the door of the sink. This may be accomplshed in severaljdierent ways, and in theaccolnpanying drawings I have given two illustrations.

In the accompanying drawings, like characters indicating like parts throughout the 4o several views7 Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section through an ordinary sink having applied thereto one of my improved attachments for opening the door thereof. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line m2 x2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the so-called tilting pail-support. Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line x4 m4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section corresponding to Fig. 1, but illustrating a different 5o form of the attachment; and Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of the catch pail or receptacle employed in the illustration given in Fig. 5.

1 indicates the cabinet of an ordinary sink, the same being provided with the hinged door 2 and a sink-bowl 3, with depending drip- Pipe 4- The catch pail or receptacle, which, it may be incidentally stated, is advisably constructed of thin metal, is indicated by the numeral 5 and is shown as provided with an ordinary bail 6, by means of which it may be readily carried. Within the pail is a vertical and transversely-extended partition 7, which terminates some little distance below the top of the pail and serves an important function, which will be hereinafter noted. It may be here added that the partition .7 divides the pail into two compartments 7'* and 7b. The pail is provided with a segmental cover 8 9, which nearly or quite covers the compartment 7b, the section 8 being fixed to the pail and the section 9 being hinged thereto at 10. The segmental cover 8 9 prevents splashing or spilling of the water when the pail tilts, as hereinafter described, and at the same time direct access is given to the compartment 7b when the hinged section 9 is raised. The hinged section 9 is a convenient and desirable, although not an indispensable, feature. In the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, a tilting pail-support is employed, this tilting pail-support in its preferred form comprising the skeleton bottom 11 and a block or Weight- 12, secured to one end thereof. On that side of the center of gravity of the support 11 12 and pail 5 which is opposite to the weight or block section 12 the bottom 11 is provided with the pair of transversely-extended parallel cleats 13, between which a single cleat 14 on the bottom of the sink 1 is adapted to work as a fulcrum to the said pailsupport. In the construction illustrated a transversely-extended strip 15, secured below the weight or block 12, limits the downward movement of that end of the support. Furthermore, as is shown, the inner face of the weight or block is hollowed out, as shown at 16, to receive the adjacent side of the pail or receptacle 5 and to properly locate the same on its support.

The operation of the device illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, is substantially as follows: The proper normal position of the catchpail on the tilting support is indicated in IOO Figs. 1 and 2, by reference to which it will be seen that the compartment 7a stands below the drip-pipe 4 and the outer edge of the pail stands very close to the inner surface of the swinging door 2, this relative position being indicated in the said views by the full lines. The door 2 may be ordinarily or normally held closed either by gravity, a light spring, or by a slight friction, it of course being necessary that the door be free to swing open when a slight force is applied thereto. It will be noted that the center of the fulcrum-cleat 14 extends to one side of the vertical axis of the pail and lies unc-ler the compartment 7 thereof. In other words, more than one-half of the pail stands between the vertical planes of the axis of the pail and of the door 2. The soiled water discharged through the pipe 4 will fall into the compartment 7 and will have a tendency to hold the pail and the tilting support in their normal positions until after the water has overrun `the, top of the partition 7 and nearly filled the compartment 7b, at which time the center of gravity of the water in the said pail having been shifted outward or toward the door 2 will overcome the gravity of the weight or block 16 and will tilt the pail and its tilting support into the positions indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, and thereby engaging the said door and forcing the same into its opened position, also as indicated in said Fig. 1. Vhen the door has thus been swung open, it will of course indicate that the pail has been nearly, although not quite, iilled and needs emptying.

In the construction illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 a grooved cleat 17 is secured to the bottom of the sink and the pail is provided on its bottom with a pair of depending f ulcrum-lu gs 18 or. ears that work in the groove of the said cleat 17. The heavy handle 19 on the inner side of the pail acts as a weight to assist in normally holding the pail, as indicated by full lines in Fig. 5. When in its normal position, the inner edge of the pail is supported by a screw 20, which, as shown, is screwed into the bottom of the sink and is provided with a removable cap 21. In this construction the fulcrum-lugs 18 are so located with respect to the'centerof gravity ot' the pail*the weight of the handle 19 of course aecting this center of gravity-that the' pail when empty will stand in its normal position, and when the compartment 7b is nearly filled to the top ot the partition 7 said pail will tilt outward against the sink-door and force the same open invery much the same manner as will the device illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive. The point or time with reference to the fullness of the pail may be varied considerably by the adjustment of the supporting-screw 20, and it will be understood that I do not limit myself to this specific means of setting or adjusting the pail;

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. The combination with a sink involving a bowl and a cabinet or case having a movable door, of a catch pail or receptacle within said cabinet, mounted to tilt over a fulcrum which is so located with respect to the center of gravity of said pail that said pail will stand in one position when empty, and when nearly iilled will tilt, and by its tilting movement open the said sink-door, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a sink involving a bowl and a cabinet having a movable door, of a catch pail or receptacle within the cabinet mounted to tilt over a fulcrum which is so located with respect to the center of gravity of said pail that it will stand in one position when empty, and when nearly iilled will tilt into a position to engage and opensaid door, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a sink involving a bowl and a cabinet having a movable door, of a catch pail or receptacle having a trans` `verse partition terminating below the top thereof, said pail being mounted to tilt over a fulcrum which is so located with respect to its center of gravity that said pail will stand in one position when empty and when nearly filled will tilt to engage and open said door, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aliixmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

LARKIN S. SAFFORD. I'Vitnesses:

MABEL M. MCGRORY, F. D. MERCHANT. 

